pete's place

La Mesa, CA

Our project challenge was to modernize Pete’s Place - the tavern of
choice in historic downtown La Mesa since 1954 – without losing its
history and character. During the excavation of the building, we uncovered some treasures:
Removing the painted plywood exposed rough brick walls and a wood truss
ceiling; in lifting the carpet we found a time-weathered concrete floor;
tearing out a wall uncovered a beautiful, hand-painted sign not seen in
decades. We adjusted our plan. The brick and truss were left exposed. The
concrete was sealed as-is to maintain its historic patina. The sign we
found inspired color palette and interior design choices that maintain
the tavern's essence. At the same time, raw metal panels, decorative lighting, and mosaic tile
inlays bring the space into the 21st century. The restrooms were
relocated to the rear of the building, stripped down, and clad in heavy,
industrial materials. The rear entry, closed for years, is open again
and new exterior signage adorns the building. PoD worked to highlight the historic connection of tavern and
neighborhood, while keeping Pete’s soul intact and providing a
much-needed refresh to the bar’s look and layout.

design + construction

This
project was unique in the fact that it was originally not even a building. The space was a parking lot for a furniture store. Eventually a structure was built in the space between the existing buildings. The wall of the furniture store and the entrance was discovered in the renovation process.